By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
There is a tasty smörgåsbord of live musical treats in the area over the next few days – rock, blues, Broadway, folk, jazz, alt-rock, singer-songwriter, comedy.
Now through July 25, Brandywiners, Ltd. (brandywiners.org) are taking up residence in their summer home at Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, www.longwoodgardens.org) where they will perform a four-show run of “Brigadoon.”
“This is our 94th season,” said Brandywiners Ltd. president Jeff Santoro, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon.
“There were only four years when it didn’t happen…three years with World War II and one year with COVID.”
For Brandywiners Ltd., there’s no place like home – as long as home is Longwood Gardens.
Every summer, the company presents a large-scale musical production at Longwood Gardens and contributes the proceeds to cultural, educational and civic causes throughout the Delaware Valley.
“Brandywiners Ltd. performed its first show at Longwood at Pierre’s outdoor theater. We’ve performed our outdoor stage production there ever since.”
“Brigadoon” is a well-loved Broadway musical that had its debut on the Great White Way in March 1947 at the Ziegfeld Theatre, where it ran for 581 performances.
Songs from the musical, such as “Almost Like Being in Love,” have become standards.
But “Brigadoon” is a show that is relatively unfamiliar to the last few generations of theater fans.
The last time it was staged on Broadway was 1980. The show’s most recent National Tour was in 1992.
A Cinemascope film version of Brigadoon was released by MGM in 1954 with Gene Kelly, Van Johnson, and Cyd Charisse in leading roles.
The story involves two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years. The main characters are the tourists – Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas – and Fiona MacLaren, a beautiful lass from the village.
Tommy and Jeff, a pair of New Yorkers, have travelled to the Scottish Highlands on vacation and get lost on their first night out. They begin to hear music coming from a nearby village that does not appear on their map of the area. They head over to the source of the music and are greeted by villagers dressed in traditional Scottish tartan.
Andrew MacLaren and his daughters arrive at the fair to purchase supplies for younger daughter Jean’s wedding to Charlie Dalrymple. After a short while, the two friends learn the story of Brigadoon – a story that starts with an event that took place two centuries in the past.
In an effort to protect Brigadoon from being changed by the outside world, the local minister prayed to God 200 years ago to have Brigadoon disappear, only to reappear for one day every 100 years. All citizens of Brigadoon are forbidden to leave the town, or it will disappear forever.
Not surprisingly, Tommy falls in love with Fiona and the story begins to get complicated.
Brandywiners Ltd. does a great job of telling the story.
Dr. Josh Miller (Director) has assembled a diverse ensemble of singers, dancers, and actors to bring this epic story to life, complete with spectacular Highlands dancing choreographed by Shauna Goodman and robust vocals/orchestrations led by Jack Krukiel (Music Director).
“It’s been 20-something years since we’ve done ‘Brigadoon’ at Longwood,” said Santoro.
“It’s definitely more melancholic than most of our summer shows but people have been asking for it.
“It’s a classic Scottish story. We’ve done it six times in our 94-year history.
“We have a very large orchestra – 16 instruments and two bagpipers. One is a member of the Bagpipers Society – Catherine Sotukup — and the other is Tom Machalek.
“The Conductor and Music Director is Jack Krukiel. He’s a young guy – 23 years old – and a teacher at Salesianum School. The show also has a large cast with 70 actors and 35 crew members.
“The show runs two hours and 25 minutes with intermission. Each night, there will be an illuminated fountain show at 10:45 p.m. – right after the conclusion of the show.”
Tickets for the show are $40 and include all day gardens admission.
The Braymores
The Braymores will be performing at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com) on July 24.
This weekend’s show is a good example of the band’s growing popularity.
The last time the Braymores played Philly, it was at Philamoca, a small listening room not much bigger than a suburban living room. Now, the quartet is performing at a bona fide rock venue in downtown Philadelphia.
The Braymores released their debut album, “Who You’d Have Been,” in September 2024 – an album featuring a dozen strong, melodic, well-constructed songs.
The quartet features Matt Tilles (lead vocals/guitar), Keegan Melaniphy (lead guitar), Wyatt Prather (bass) and Russell Oren (drums).
“We’ve been together for four years — from May 2022,” said Tiles, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home in Chicago.
“We all went to Barrington High School. Russel is my age and Keegan and Wyat are a year older.”
Barrington is a Chicago suburb located about 35 miles northwest of the city.
Graduates from Barrington High School include Townes Van Zandt, singer-songwriter; Adam Siska, bass player of Say Anything; Henry M. Paulson, U.S. Treasury Secretary (2006–09); and professional drag queen star Gia Gunn.
“I was making music on my own — posting TikToks of original songs and covers,” said Tiles. “I was doing solo stuff, but I always wanted to be in a band.
“Keegan emailed me and said he was interested in putting a band together. Keegan was friends with a drummer, and we all started paying together casually.”
Prather joined the band at the end of 2022 and has since been replaced by Connor Kohanzo.
“We used to do D.I.Y. shows the first year – playing in bars to nobody,” said Tiles. “We also did a couple Battle of the Bands. Our first real show was in 2024 at a club in Chicago called Beat Kitchen.”
The Braymores, who just signed with Red Light Management Nashville and the ROAM Agency for representation, released their first EP, “Talking to Trees,” in the summer of 2023.
“Talking to Trees” introduced a sound blending indie rock, folk influences, surf-inspired guitar work, and hook-driven songwriting.
The project’s breakout attention on social platforms helped establish an early streaming audience and positioned The Braymores within Chicago’s thriving independent music scene.
“We still play some songs from the EP in our current shows,” said Tiles. “We released our debut album, ‘Who You’d Have Been,’ in late 2024.
“We cut it at Studio Kai, a small studio in suburban Chicago. It was pretty much D.I.Y. recording – pretty low fidelity. We also did some drums and vocals in downtown Chicago.
“It was recorded over a long period of time because we had to pay for it ourselves. Some songs were over two years old.
“I do most of the lyric writing and we collaborate on the music. I compose most of it, but we do write together. Keegan also wrote a lot.
“We’ve been working a lot on our next album. With the new album, our writing is more about characters than about ourselves.”
Video link for The Braymores — https://youtu.be/KLr32H9pc98.
The show at Milkboy, which also features Say We Ran, will start at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $27.74.
Tours all seem to have their own names these days.
The Braymores’ current tour is billed as “When The Lights Went Out Tour.”
Lightwatch, which is headlining a show on July 25 at Broken Goblet Brewing (2500 State Road, Bensalem,
brokengoblet.com), is bringing its “I Can Do Whatever I Want Tour” to the area.
Lightwatch is an alternative rock powerhouse from the legendary Muscle Shoals area. Known as “The Shoals,” the northwest Alabama region includes Tuscumbia, Sheffield, Florence and recording Mecca Muscle Shoals.
The band’s high-energy presence and music have been keeping crowds on their feet across the Southeast for years already.
American alt-rock band features Trey Nichols (vocals/guitar), Emmett Redding (lead guitar), Tony Martelli (bass) and Dylan Johnson (drums).
“We’ve been together for three years,” said Nichols, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Richmond, Virginia.
“Three of us are from The Shoals and our drummer Dylan is from Destin, Florida. Me and Emmett graduated from Florence High School in 2020.
“Tony is a few years older, and we used to watch his bands play in the area. Then, we met Dylan at one of my solo gigs.”
Their debut LP, “Into the Evers,” was released December 6, 2024. The band’s 10-song, 30-minute opening statement garnered an ever-growing loyal and passionate fanbase in their region and beyond.
Blending gritty guitar work with anthemic hooks and emotionally charged lyricism, “Nicotine” captures the band’s signature intensity while pushing their sound into a sharper, more refined direction.
The track explores themes of addiction, desire, and the kind of pull that’s impossible to shake — delivered with a raw urgency that mirrors the band’s electrifying live performances.
According to the band, “‘Nicotine is our first release since our debut LP for a reason — it’s a step in a new direction creatively and sonically. It’s full of all the grit and overdrive we want to bring going forward.”
The band’s next single – “See You Again” – will be released on August 7.
“We’re doing something a little different this time,” said Nichols. “This time, we’re going to make an album of singles. We’ll release a single every four-to-six weeks to have content and stuff to tour on.
“Our music has been changing. We just figured out what we’re about – heavy alt-rock to pop-rock – all over the places but definitely us. I guess it’s just matured a bit more.”
Video link for Lightwatch — https://youtu.be/fdq18gW_v4Y?si=QumftuVcPPpscRaq.
The show at Broken Goblet Brewing, which has Shattered Figures and Loose Panic as opening acts, will start at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10.
There will be another “tour with a name” visit to town this weekend when maryjo headlines a show at Nikki Lopez
(304 South Street, Philadelphia, nikkilopezphilly.com) on July 26.
The tour is billed as “The I Hope I Sell Tickets Tour.”
maryjo is a 25-year-old singer/songwriter with an unforgettable voice made for heart-melting piano ballads. Known for her emotional range and vocal agility, she moves effortlessly from full-throated belting to fragile, crackling vulnerability.
She grew up in Cleveland where she quietly nurtured her passion for songwriting and piano after becoming shy about performing.
“I was born in Knoxville and then my family moved to Cleveland when I was 8,” said maryjo, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in Nashville.
“Right now, I’m deep cleaning my apartment before heading out on tour. And I’m hanging out with my little dog – Bo Thumper Shulman Young. He was a rescue dog.
“I went to high school in Cleveland. Then I went to college at Cleveland State and majored in business. I didn’t know I was going to sing. I wanted to be a realtor.
“I only sang in private – at home. I was from a musical family. My mom sang and my dad was a professional singer – opera.
“I never sang in front of people. When I moved to Cleveland, I stopped singing.”
It wasn’t until she began posting performance videos online that maryjo’s fear of singing in public started to dissipate.
“I started posting videos on TikTok and Twitter and things started to shoot up,” said maryjo.
She quickly drew a loyal following of over 1.4 million TikTok fans and landed her on season 19 of American Idol.
“American Idol got in touch with me after learning about me on TikTok and Instagram,” said maryjo.
“They reached out a couple times and I said sure. I was surprised they did that. Then, I found out that they scout a lot.
“When I was n the show, I was terrified. I didn’t think I sounded good. I was nervous all the way. But I ended in the Top 24 in 2020.”
maryjo gained national recognition on Season 19 of American Idol, where her emotional rendition of “You Broke Me First” by Tate McRae earned her three yeses from the judges and a spot in the top 24.
Following the show, she hooked up with Atlantic Records and released her debut single, “Love Fools,” a stripped-back ballad produced by ACM Award-winner Gordon Mote.
She followed it with standout singles like “Don’t Call Me” and “Nothing to Lose.” Her collaboration with global artist CYRIL surpassed 100 million streams.
“I got signed to Atlantic Records,” said maryjo. “I was there a few years and then got dropped.
“I looked at other labels and decided to go back to being an independent artist with original songs.
“I’ve been touring a lot this year. I did two tours all over the United States – 26 states. I’ve also been doing sessions in L.A. and Nashville – with Josh Murty in L.A. and at East Iris Studio in Nashville.
“I have 12 songs that are already mixed. I think we’re about to do an EP and then an album. When I was with Atlantic, all they wanted was singles.”
Ironically, maryjo has released four singles in the first half of 2026 – “No More Heart To Break,” “Stop Sign,” “It Is What It Is” and “Love To Hate Me.”
“My set list for these shows includes a lot of the singles along with some new songs,” said maryjo. “The new songs are more rocking.”
Video link for maryjo – https://youtu.be/Gu9upaEnhto?list=RDGu9upaEnhto.
The show at Nikki Lopez on July 26, which has Brooke Alexx as the opener, will start at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $20.
Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) will have “Glory Days Music Night” on July 24 and Riot Act (Pearl Jam) on July 25.
Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org) is presenting Sweet Baby James (James Taylor) on July 24.
Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com) continues its tradition of presenting top quality blues music this weekend.
On July 24, Jamey’s will host Bluestime! while Vernon Papers will be the headliner on July 25.
“Sunday Blues Brunch & Jam” will feature Jamey’s Blues Union with a set from noon-1 p.m. Then, the weekly “Jamey’s Pajama Jam” will run from 1-3 p.m.
At the Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com), the show on July 24 will feature Obey Your Master, a Metallica tribute band.
